WEST COAST UNIVERSITY

Equipping Confident Nurses Ready to Provide the Utmost Care

By Patti Otte

In the spring of 2020, demolition began in earnest at 2323 North Central Expressway. Transforming Fossil’s former three-story headquarters, located at the southeast corner of Central Expressway and Galatyn Park, into the new Texas campus of West Coast University would require the removal of 60,000 pounds of concrete and a massive overhaul of the space.

Finally, in August 2021, the doors opened to the innovative, technologically advanced teaching facility which has become a standard bearer among nursing colleges in Texas. Since its move to Richardson, WCU has received the Richardson Chamber of Commerce Rising Star of the Year Award, the People’s Choice Award in the Dallas Morning News for Best College/University in DFW, and Best College/University in the Dallas Observer Readers’ Poll. The university was also lauded as a #1 Best Value College in DFW and #1 for Nursing Colleges in Texas and America by Niche.com.

Upon entering the expansive space, students and visitors are greeted by a massive vertical wall filled with 2,400 live plants providing oxygen and a touch of the outdoors to the lobby. The space has a crisp, fresh ambiance, wherein what once was concrete is now glass, steel and soaring ceilings. WCU’s designers had its diverse group of students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in mind when envisioning every floor of the university.

Each space within the campus serves an important purpose for the approximately 1,000 students earning a degree there. From offices, meeting areas, and a subsidized cafeteria on the ground floor to dedicated study areas, classrooms and labs on the upper floors, the university’s leaders considered every detail with student success and preparedness in mind as they designed the facility.

Dr. Amy King, WCU Texas’s Executive Director, prides herself on the university’s student-centric culture and “West Coast Care,” which, according to Dr. King, means that “everything - from our campus to our curriculum - is designed with the priority of serving our students and ensuring their success. The student-centric approach incorporates industry-current technology and hands-on experiences to position graduates to become leaders in their fields.”

One such example of this technology is WCU’s Digital Cadaver Zone, a glasswalled room with a two-dimensional simulated cadaver powered by Anatomage technology. Physician Assistant Students use the digital cadaver during their first year instead of an actual one. They can perform any procedure with digital tools and manipulate the simulated cadaver just as they would a human one.

Even more impressive is the secondfloor Simulation Center equipped with the exact components of an actual hospital room, including the bed, computers, monitors…and even a high-fidelity manikins controlled by technicians behind an opaque glass window to simulate any actual distresses or illnesses someone receiving hospital care might undergo. The manikin can cough, move, tremble, have a heart attack…whatever is required to create a hands-on teaching and learning opportunity. Across the hall using a large monitor live-streaming from the simulated hospital room, the nurse’s cohorts watch everything and then provide feedback post-exercise. In addition, the nurse/client interaction is being filmed so that the student nurses can view themselves in action, a valuable first-hand teaching tool.

Dr. Richild Berrick, Campus Dean of Nursing, not only emphasizes advanced nursing skills but also incorporates compassion training, also known as therapeutic communication, throughout all interactions within the university. Dr. Berrick’s passion for teaching and for creating a culture of empathy is evident in every aspect of the curriculum.

Not only are cohorts given a stellar education, but they and all professionals are encouraged to commit to community service. States Dr. King, “This commitment is fundamental to our shared values as an institution of higher education, and it is demonstrated in how we have contributed our time and resources in service to

Richardson is a vibrant and growing community which we are proud to call home in Texas. As I have served on the Richardson Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, I continue to be impressed with the collaboration and innovation throughout the greater Richardson business community. Most notably, our esteemed Richardson healthcare partners are integral to support the successful education of our students and ultimately employ our graduates. It is a joy to see our graduates securing nursing jobs (among other healthcare jobs) in Richardson and giving back to the community.

– Dr. Amy King, Executive Director, WCU Texas communities throughout the year. For example, Members of the Student Nursing Association (SNA) organization at WCUTexas volunteered at Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), where they packed 8,856 meals that could feed up to 24 children for an entire year. And our associates and students recently participated in a clothing drive for Network of Community Ministries to support their work in our local community. Our full-time staff and faculty members are also each provided a Day of Service to volunteer annually.”

When asked about her goals for the future of WCU, King states, “My vision is for WCU to provide an exceptional experience for every student, associate, prospect, and community partner, positioning WCU as a preferred institution for healthcare education. In five years, I want our community to be recognized for having the best healthcare professionals, the majority of whom are proud to call WCU Texas their alma mater.” The university is well on its way to achieving those lofty aims.

For more information about West Coast University, visit http://westcoastuniversity.edu.

Editor’s Note: Movers and shakers are people who make things happen, influencers whose energy creates positive change. They’re always busy and often pioneers in their respective fields. In each issue of Richardson Life Magazine , we highlight an individual, couple or group of people who we feel fits this definition. If you would like to nominate a mover and shaker to be celebrated in the pages of the magazine, email pmotte@hylogroup.com .